Improvement in self-acting wagon-bbake



T. SMITH.

, Self Acting Wagon Brake.'` No. 81,696. Patented Sept.1&1868.

' N\ PETERS. Phaiu-Ulhugnlpbur. Washinglnn. D. C.

taten stent THOMAS SMIT-H, OF GA'LIFORNIALMISS'OURI.

lLettera Patent No. 81,696, dated Septembel, 1868;' antedated August29,1868. I

IMPROVEMENT IN SELF-ACTING WAGON-BRAKE. l

@Ligt tlgeini referrer in in tiges: triier @stmt mit mating pmt uf tigetime.

-TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I

Bc it known that I, THOMASSMITII, o California,in thecounty'oi`-Moniteau, and State of Missouri, have invented a new andimproved Self-Acting WagonLBrakc; and I do hereby declare theffollowingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, sufficient toenable those skilled in the'art to which my invention appertains to makeuse of it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming'part ot' this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation,and i Figure 2 a top view of my invention. l

In this invention the friction-blocks are adjustable in order toaccommodate them to dili'crent wheels, and are directly attached to andsupported' by the springs of the brake'. The apparatus is also madeadjustable to horses of diiercnt sizes. I

In the drawings, A represents the wheels; B, thc axle; C, the tongue;DD, braces attached to strengthen the 4tongue and provide a support 'forth'e brakes; and E a' stout, tint springattached at its middle to a bar,F,

which connects-the rear ends of the braces D D. The spring E is madelong enough to extend from wheel to wheel, and to its ends are xed thefriction-blocks e e, which are applied to the wheels to retard theirmotion. These blocks may be either rigidly attached to the springs, ortheymay be pivoted to a clasp or slide, G, which is made adjustablealong the spring by means of a slot and set-screw, s, to accommodate theblock to differentlyconstructed wheels.' The blocks e'e being pivoted tothe clasp or slide G, will accommodate themselves to the position oftherim against which they operate, A'always presenting their whole lengthfairly against the wheel.

The spring E, holds the blocks close to but not in contact with the tireofthe wheel. In order to apply the brake to the wheels, I connect thespring hy rods h 7L, from a point` near each end to a rod, I, whichextends the whole length of the tongue, lying under it and slidinglongitudinally in sockets i z', provided for tho purpose. The forwardend of this r'od I connect with the neck-yoke J by means of a cord `orchain, k, passing over a pulley, m, in the 'end of the tongue. By thismeans, whenever the neck-yoke is thrown back, as in backing, or holdingback when going down-hill, the rod I Ais drawn forward-and the brakesapplied. A ring, o', attached to the neck-yoke, passes around thetongue, and rests against a pin, t, when the yoke -is thrown back, forthe purpose of backing or holding back'the carriage. This pin may beadjuetedin different positions along tho tongue by means of a seriesoivholes, 'u v u, providedfor the purposc,in order to accommodate theapparatus to horses oi' different sizes.

The whole devicei'orms the most. simple, durable, and eiective apparatusfor the purpose which has yet been brought into use. Itha's beenthoroughly tested, and found to bel in every respect superior to the oldform of brake. It can be attached at little expense to an)1 hind of,carriage, and its adjnstability gives it a decided advantage over. thosebrakes which can only be used in connection with axles of the. samelength or wheels of the same form.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Lettcis Patent, is- 'The self-acting wagon-brake, composed ofthe block e, pivotcd to the adjustable slide G, which is itself directlyattached to the spring E, and operated-by the rods h and I and yoke J,when the parts referred to are constructed as dcscribed, and combinedand arranged'iu tho manner and for thapurposes speei'ded.

To the above speciii'cation of m'y improvement I have signed my hand,'this 16th day of January, 1868.

THOMAS SMITH.

Witnesses CHARLES A. Pnr'rr'r, SoLoN C. Kanon.'

